


i must confess; i'm a human. there's only so much i can do before i explode.

by taye_z



Series: ghost-innit [5]
Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Accidental Teleportation, Angst, Arguing, Crying, Gen, Ghost TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), HEY AO3 CAN YOU EXPLAIN HOW SOMEBODY HAS ACCIDENTAL SEX?!?, Hurt/Comfort, Ranboo is a Good Friend: Part Two, Recovered Memories, Teleportation, Trust Issues, aka hes a cocky jerk, dreams acts a lot like canon dream in this ngl, i am just so utterly horrible at tagging, probably angst i guess, the third just stands there, two adults yell at each other while a dead child gets scared, why are there two technoblade character tags
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-10
Updated: 2020-12-10
Packaged: 2021-03-10 04:53:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,069
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27988773
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/taye_z/pseuds/taye_z
Summary: Phil arrives in L’manburg on a visit. He isn’t too pleased to find his youngest son turned into a ghost.GhostInnit gets dragged along as Phil and Techno go to talk with Dream, hopeless and confused. As expected, it does not go well.title: spent my life by kindred. (achievement unlocked: unoriginality)
Relationships: No Romantic Relationship(s), ahh! i just re-traumatized myself! - a toad from paper mario: the origami king
Series: ghost-innit [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2042287
Comments: 32
Kudos: 1003
Collections: Completed stories I've read, im a sad bitch. what can i say?





	i must confess; i'm a human. there's only so much i can do before i explode.

It was a bright and sunny day. A warm breeze blew through the trees, rustling the beautiful orange and red leaves. It was the perfect mid-fall day, where people would have picnics and make pumpkin pie, laughing with family and friends.

Tommy was sitting high up on the hot air balloon, dangling his faded feet in the air. He had an impressive view of L’manburg, and with the walls almost fully down he could see it in its full glory. He could see rolling hills with more buildings past the rough area where L’manburg ended. Two wooden paths led away, one going sideways through a small group of buildings and the other carving straight through a mountain. Maybe someday soon he could take a tour of the Dream SMP. Maybe.

But Tommy wasn’t up there for the view, as stunning as it was. He was up there to clear his thoughts.

Ever since he managed to remember the seconds leading up to his death, everyone has been much more persistent. Random people were always talking to him about events he didn’t remember with too much hope in their eyes. The feeling he was disappointing them all only got stronger each time someone’s smile fell from their face, turning away from his blank look.

He swung his feet, not afraid in the slightest of the height. Tubbo had been a bit more talkative to him in the first few days, but once he realized Tommy didn’t truly remember everything Tubbo drifted away again. They hardly talked anymore. It made Tommy sad, because he enjoyed Tubbo’s company a lot. Maybe it was for the better, though. Tubbo wouldn’t always be searching for a reaction from Tommy, and Tommy wouldn’t feel like he was letting down Tubbo.

Something caught his eye down below in L’manburg. Tommy squinted, trying to make out what it was. There were two people, dressed in light blue and white clothing. They were talking to Tubbo and Wilbur. Wilbur would tell Tommy who these people were, right?

Tommy schooched forward off the balloon, falling down to the ground.

_TommyInnit fell from a high place._

He popped back into his bed. He didn’t have anything important on him, so he quickly rushed from the sewer and over to the newcomers. 

Tommy trotted up to Wilbur. He managed to catch the very end of what one of the people were saying “...that must be unfortunate.”

Tommy gently tugged on Wilbur’s sleeve as Tubbo talked to the new people. “Wilbur? Who are these people?”

His whisper must not have been quiet enough, because the one with big, black wings with two white diamonds near the ends turned. His dark blue eyes widened under his striped bucket hat, and he took a startled step backwards.

Tubbo laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his head. “Uh. I guess I haven’t told you yet.”

Tommy gave the man a curious look. Something about him seemed familiar.

“This is GhostInnit.”

Tommy missed the cue, not used to the name despite being called it multiple times. He stepped forward with a soft “oh” once he realized what Tubbo wanted him to do.

Tommy shoved his hands into his pockets, giving the two people a smile. “Hello! I’m Tommy, and I probably don’t remember you!”

The two sat in shocked silence for a few seconds, before Bucket Hat Man shouted, “WHAT?!”

His companion, a scary looking guy with pig ears and long pink hair let out a shaky “Bruuhh.”

Bucket Hat Man pulled down on his hat, eyes wide with horrified shock. “I leave for one month and Tommy dies?! How?!”

Tommy took a nervous step backwards. Pig Man scared him a lot, and so did Bucket Hat Man.

Bucket Hat Man turned his upset gaze to the president. “Do you know what happened?”

Tubbo shifted under the gaze, glancing over at Tommy. “You should ask him. He could probably explain it better.”

Tommy froze like a deer in headlights, hands shaking slightly. Why did he feel so anxious?

“Well?” Pig Man grunted.

“R-Right.” Tommy stumbled over his words. “I was, uh, in this dirt hut. It was raining. This guy, I think his name is Dream? He told me to put everything I had in a pit so he could destroy it. I said no, and I don’t remember what happened after that.”

Pig Man tightened his hands into fists. “Dream.” His voice was low, deeper than before, and it filled Tommy with terror.

“Techno, let’s go.” Bucket Hat Man turned away, before glancing behind him. “You too.”

His deep blue eyes stared at Tommy, who nodded quickly.

Bucket Hat Man started marching out of L’manburg, Techno on his tail. Tommy gave Wilbur a pleading look, but the older man just motioned for Tommy to follow them. “Don’t worry, they’re friends!”

“Phil? Where are you going?” Tubbo called, worry lacing his tone.

“We’re just going to have a little… _chat_ with Dream,” Phil said over his shoulder.

“Please don’t start a war, I _just_ got to a peace agreement with Dream.” Tubbo sounded very tired when he said that. Tommy wondered how long it took for him to make peace.

“We won't! Come on, Tommy!” Phil cheerfully called.

Tommy sent Wilbur one last desperate look, before hanging his head and trudging along behind Phil and Techno.

If his nerves were on fire before, now they were burning in lava. He kept his head low the entire time they walked through the Dream SMP, knowing he _really_ shouldn’t be here. His instincts were screaming at him to turn and run back to L’manburg, but the fear of what Techno or Phil would do to him kept him following.

He knew there was something familiar about the two men, but the only information he had was Phil smiling at him and the special way Techno dyed his hair (hint: it involved sitting in the bathtub as he applied dye to his very long, very thick hair and took _forever_ and Tommy couldn’t use that bathroom until he was done). So there was a good chance he was friends with them when he was alive, but if he was he couldn’t remember.

He kept his head down, staring at the wooden planks beneath him. He knew this path was important, and he had helped build parts of it, but he couldn’t remember why.

Fear built up inside of him, taking place at the back of his throat. It felt oddly familiar, as if he had spent too long with it and adjusted to cover it. He found himself relaxing slightly, breathing deeply through his nose to cover the signs of fear. Despite keeping his head lowered, he was walking with a forced air of confidence. How strange.

The planks changed color, with two stripes of light pinkish wood on either side of the classic oak. Tommy glanced up, finding himself standing on a short bridge. Water lapped against the wood under his feet, the sound reminding him of the _twang_ sound a bow made when you shoot an arrow and deadly pain in his chest.

The house in front of him looked fairly well built. The door was completely gone, which did make the house look a bit more scuffed. Brick walls with spruce and polished stone highlights made a perfect combination, despite some pieces of wood missing and a hole or two in the bricks.

Phil stormed inside with Techno. Tommy hesitated, but only for a moment before stepping inside.

The floor was entirely made of crafting tables, which was an odd fashion choice. Some chests lined the walls, and Tommy knew they were just filled with useless items. A birch staircase led up to a roof and down underground. The house was quite empty, but judging by the scuffed walls and the mud tracked in it was well used.

Tommy remembered this house, just a little. He only remembered running through it, and seeing it change from a box-like shape into the thing it is today. It was pretty familiar, and Tommy knew it was just from being here a lot when he was alive.

Phil sat down on a chair next to the table pushed up in the left corner, pulling out a communicator and typing furiously. Techno leaned against the wall behind him, watching out the window.

Tommy didn’t want to sit at the table, because then Phil and Techno would try to talk to him and he would have to say _“Sorry! I don’t know you!”_ and then they would look sad and uh oh where was his yellow?

Tommy opened his inventory, the subspace completely blank. That’s right- he had died and lost his yellow! He quickly started rummaging through the chests, but they were only filled with junk like he remembered.

Tommy wanted to ask if he could go outside, just for a moment, to grab some yellow. He turned to look out the doorway to see if any yellow flowers were close by, but there was this guy standing in the way.

Phil stood from the chair. The two people had a standoff. 

“Dream.”

Phil speaking broke the tension, and the man walked forward with an easy gait. He sat at the closest chair, his shimmering armor clicking. He had a green hood and a mask covering his face. Tommy stayed over by the chests, hoping they forgot about him so he could go back to L’manburg.

His hope was short lived, as Phil motioned for him to come over. He did so hesitantly, standing a little ways away from the table. So, you know, if they started fighting he could have enough space to back up and run.

Dream looked over. Tommy shivered. His mask was really creepy, with a flat, white piece of plastic and a dead smiley face childishly drawn on. He radiated the same sense of danger as Techno, but instead of loud, overfilling terror, Tommy felt apprehension. This man looked like he could easily chase him down and kill him in an instant, even if Tommy hid the best he could or ran as fast as he could manage. Just because he wasn’t as muscular as Techno didn’t make him any less terrifying.

“Ah. I see you found out about your second ghost son,” Dream spoke, after analyzing Tommy. Wait, son?

Phil looked calm, but his wings were rigid, tensely folded across his back. “I just want to know what happened.”

Dream let out a small chuckle, leaning back in the chair. He twirled a sparkling sword, and Tommy could have sworn it was the same sword that... that what? Killed him, probably.

“Why do you assume I know?”

Phil sighed, an angry release of air. “Tommy remembers you killing him.”

Dream’s head snapped around, and Tommy panicked. “N-no, it probably wasn’t you, b-but-”

“What I want to know,” Techno spoke up, deep voice cutting Tommy off. “is the same as Phil. Why did you kill him?”

The ghost let out a quiet sigh of relief when Dream turned away. Anything to not have that creepy mask staring at him.

“Well, now. I didn’t _mean_ to kill him.” He waved his hand in the air dismissively.

“Yet you did.” Phil was quiet, deadly. 

Dream seemed to feel none of this aura, just shrugging.

“I just wanted to hit him once. You know, remind him of how easily I can kill him.” Dream clicked his tongue absentmindedly. “Turns out he was lower on health than I thought.”

“You didn't think about that beforehand?!” Phil slammed his hands on the table in a sudden burst of anger, making Tommy jump. “You claim you're so smart, but as soon as it comes to people's _lives_ you just…” He trailed off momentarily, clearly struggling with how to word it. “...stop thinking?”

Dream probably rolled his eyes with a huff. “Okay, Mr. Hardcore, calm down. He's still here. People like him more now. It wasn't my plan, but it's for the best.”

That must have been the wrong thing for Dream to say, as Phil shoved himself out of the chair. His hands were still on the table, his wings slightly spread for intimidation. Tommy sure as hell felt intimidated, cowering away slightly.

“For the best?! My son is dead, Dream! He doesn't even remember me!”

Dream smugly sat in his chair. Tommy knew Dream got the exact reaction he wanted. “Maybe he just associated you with bad memories. Think about it. It's no surprise Tommy doesn't remember Techno, but you? You killed Wilbur, then abandoned Tommy to be exiled. You haven't really been a father figure, despite claiming to be one.”

Phil's fiery glare seemed to increase. “I did the best I could! Tommy!”

The ghost flinched, taking a step back. Phil's gaze was bad enough, but directed at him? Tommy couldn't move, afraid of setting off the land mine that was the man in front of him.

“You remember me, right?! Remember!” Phil shouted, justified anger directed at the wrong person.

Tommy curled away, clutching his head. Dream's taunts echoed in his head, Phil’s yelling the background music to this horrible symphony.

_“Philza! Phil, kill me!” A madman begged, tears streaming down his face as he grinned._

_“You're my son!” The man cried back, yet took the sword._

_“Phil! Kill me! Stab me through the stomach! Do it!”_

_A sword slid into a body, and Tommy could only watch with horror in his veins as the body disintegrated into pure white ash and smoke._

_They found his body a while later, laying cold and lifeless in a bed. A ghost hovered nearby, confusion on his face and a scar on his chest._

Phil was still yelling, but now Dream was as well. It was too loud, making Tommy's piercing headache worse. 

He pressed his hands against his ears, but he clearly heard the loud insults being tossed back and forth. He squeezed his eyes shut, but he still saw Phil's glare. He just wanted to disappear from this, _he just wanted to remember._

“Tommy?” Phil asked, voice tame and filled with worry. It was fake.

_But_

“Aw, look. You made your _son_ scared.”

_He_

“Phil, Dream, you both need to fight it out.”

“Techno! Shut up!”

_Tommy, shut up._

**_Couldn't._ **

Someone touched his shoulder, the exact wrong thing to do. Tommy recoiled away as if he had been burned. He just wanted out, he wanted to be with someone safe-

“Hey, I'm sorry. Can you look at me?” The voice was artificially concerned. 

The world was bending, blurring together as Tommy's insides folded. He just wanted away, from this loud person he ~~trusted~~ _no_ ~~betrayed by~~ _leave me alone_ ~~abandoned by~~ _stop it_ ~~disappointed, failed~~

Someone touched him again, a rough, callused hand gently holding his arm.

_STOP IT NO_ _DON'T TOUCH ME-_

With a puff of white smoke, Tommy disappeared.

* * *

Teleporting, as it turns out, is very disorienting.

Tommy found himself floating in what he would describe as a void. Darkness glistened with purple and white specks around him.

It was comfortable in here, Tommy thought. There were no people yelling, no anger, nobody looking at him with expectations he couldn’t meet.

The veil shimmered for a moment, revealing a humanoid figure. A distorted voice called his name, and he instinctively flinched backwards, pulling back.

He couldn’t see the other person anymore.

He was trying to determine whether or not this was a good thing when the walls shimmered again. Instead of seeing a faint figure, somebody appeared in the space with him.

The newcomer’s white half seemed to glow in the void, the black part almost disappearing completely into the background.

“Oh, uh, hi Tommy, I guess.” Ranboo seemed much more comfortable here, somehow moving forward to float in front of Tommy.

“How’d you get here?” Ranboo asked.

Tommy shook his head. “I-I don’t-”

“Oh, that’s okay. Here, let’s get you out of here, alright?” Ranboo reached out a hand.

Tommy started at the white, clawed offering. Hesitantly, he reached out, putting a slightly transparent, grey hand in Ranboo’s. “O-Okay. I trust you.”

Ranboo smiled at this, gently pulling him forward. With another bending feeling and a pop in his ears, the pair appeared back in the world. 

Purple particles and traces of white smoke lingered in the house as Tommy regained composure. He took a moment to orientate himself, carefully balancing himself with the help of a nearby wall.

Once he got his balance back and his head back in order, Tommy looked around. They were in a spruce house, one of the L’manburg houses to be exact. 

“Tommy? Oh, shoot- Tommy, why are you crying?”

Tommy blinked at Ranboo’s concern, gently reaching up to touch his wet cheeks. “Oh. I-I’m crying.”

Ranboo’s hands hovered uncertainty as he tried to decipher how to help. “Uh… do you want a hug?”

Ranboo opened his arms. Tommy studied the enderman hybrid carefully.

“I-I mean, you don’t _have_ to, but I’m fairly certain Alive Tommy didn’t get hugged enough.”

Tommy glanced at the outstretched arms, before stumbling into them. Ranboo held Tommy to his chest, embracing him in an affectionate piece of human contact. Tommy stood, not moving to complete the hug. His head was buried in the other’s chest, because wow Ranboo was tall, huh?

After a few moments of Tommy blinking tears from his eyes, Ranboo pulled away. He softly held Tommy’s arms, not intruding or overwhelming him like he had experienced minutes before.

“There. You all good?” Ranboo tilted his head a little in question.

Tommy looked down at the floor. Technically, he was good. He wasn’t hurt, not on the outside.

“I just want to remember,” Tommy mumbled in that quiet, raspy voice of his.

Ranboo let him go, ruffling his hair a little. “It’ll come with time. Don’t stress about it. Some people just don’t understand that, but they’ll realize soon enough.”

Tommy swatted at the hand attacking his hair on instinct, and Ranboo pulled away with a laugh. Tommy smiled.

“Thank you.”

Ranboo opened the door, giving Tommy a smile in return. “It’s no problem. I would be a horrible friend if I didn’t help.”

Tommy grinned at that. 

Phil and Techno may be scary, but at least he has a friend to help him through it.

A president turns his head with a quiet sigh as the ghost runs after the hybrid.

**Author's Note:**

> a few nights ago i was laying in bed, reading fanfics as you do, and i was fiddling with the edge of my shorts when i had the completely serious and rational thought of "what if i take my shorts off and put them on my head"
> 
> this thing got much longer than i thought it would but thats pretty poggers i guess
> 
> random tip for new writers: when you go to post a work, use rich text instead of HTML. it is so much easier and it just looks nicer. you can literally write everything in a google doc or whatever writing platform you use and then paste it and it is very nice. lil tip for you new people since i know a lot struggle with it.
> 
> have a good idea/night! <3


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